Won't let us carry the corpse? Then we'll use Corpse Driving!

"Drink, my ass! We've got important business tomorrow. Booze will screw it up!"

Xie Yong slapped the small-eyed man beside him on the head and glared. "If you don't want to make this money, go ahead and drink!"

"I do, I do! Yong, count me in!"

The other two nodded eagerly as well.

"If you want to make money, do as I say."

Xie Yong picked up his teacup. Seeing this, the other three hurriedly raised their own cups and clinked them against his.

Satisfied, Xie Yong took a sip to wet his throat.

"Let's get this straight first. I found this opportunity, and those guys are staying at my place. So, of tomorrow's hundred thousand, I get seventy thousand, and you each get ten thousand. Any objections?"

Their expressions stiffened a little, but none of them said anything.

Knowing their dispositions, Xie Yong snorted. "Without me, it'd take you half a year to earn ten thousand!"

"Right, right, you're absolutely right, Yong. You deserve the biggest share!"

The small-eyed man spoke first, then cautiously asked, "But, Yong, ten thousand really won't go far. Think we could squeeze a little more out of their pockets?"

Xie Yong looked at him and smiled. "I said I'd help you make money. Did you really think ten thousand was all you'd get?"

The three men's eyes lit up, and they leaned closer.

"There's more to be made, Yong?"

"Of course!"

Xie Yong picked up a mouthful of pickles, then spat them out.

"That guy brought in pallbearers, and he can still give us another hundred thousand. What does that tell you?"

"He's got money to spare!"

"In that case, what difference does it make who gets paid to carry the coffin?"

Xie Yong narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me, if their pallbearers are out of commission, and the old man's already been dead for days, what'll they do?"

At five-thirty the next morning, just as dawn broke, Chen Miao got up and woke everyone.

By the time everyone was awake and ready, it was just six.

As they were preparing to leave, Xie Yong's elderly mother came out of the main house, rubbing her hands. Looking embarrassed, she said to Xie Songde and the others, "Have something to eat before you go."

Xie Songde had spoken with the old woman before and knew she wasn't a bad person. Her son was the problem.

After a moment's thought, he turned to Chen Miao and the others. "We've got a long way ahead. Let's eat first."

Chen Miao didn't refuse.

While they were eating, Xie Yong and his three companions came in.

Seeing them, Xie Songde didn't waste any time.

He took out his phone, found a signal, and transferred a hundred thousand to Xie Songde, then wrote on the paper Xie Yong handed him that the money was a corpse storage fee.

Xie Yong had prepared thoroughly. He even had an ink pad and made Xie Songde leave his fingerprint, afraid Xie Songde might cause trouble later.

His approach actually put Xie Songde somewhat at ease.

It meant the man had concerns.

That was good. At least he wouldn't actually rob them or hurt anyone.

"Enjoy your breakfast, gentlemen."

Holding the paper, Xie Yong left with his companions, all smiles.

As he left, Chen Miao noticed something strange about the way Xie Yong looked at them, but didn't think much of it. Perhaps he was simply pleased about making a hundred thousand.

After breakfast, Kong Fang and Jiao Zhiyong took the first shift carrying the coffin, expecting to switch after about half an hour.

But none of them expected trouble to strike barely a hundred meters later.

"Jiao, why's there a mushroom on your head... Holy shit, that mushroom's come alive! It's even got legs!"

Feeling the rear become unsteady, Jiao Zhiyong hurried to lower the coffin, but he was a little too late.

Bang!

The coffin hit the ground, startling everyone.

"What are you doing?"

Jiao Zhiyong frowned at Kong Fang, but Kong Fang was already making scissors with both hands, snipping away at something on his body.

As he snipped, he said, "Why am I growing branches? Come help trim them."

Jiao Zhiyong looked utterly bewildered.

Then another commotion broke out beside him.

The big, burly Cao Jun suddenly lunged forward, landing with both hands pressed firmly against the ground.

"Look, I caught a spirit! Come look!"

Holding a leaf between his fingers, Cao Jun spoke to Chen Miao and the others with a look of wonder.

Meanwhile, Xie Songde's brother-in-law, Leng Zhiyuan, had grabbed his hair.

"Where'd you get your hair done? How come it can dance?"

Chen Miao, Xie Songde, and Jiao Zhiyong were all dumbfounded by what was happening around them.

Just then, an old man came over from a roadside house. After looking them over, he said with a chuckle, "They've eaten mushrooms, haven't they? Hurry over to Old Cripple. He's got medicine that'll treat it."

Xie Songde didn't understand and asked for clarification.

Only when he heard the word "poisoning" did he panic.

Soon, following the old man's directions, Chen Miao and the others reached Old Cripple's house.

They finally breathed easier after learning that the poisoning wasn't serious.

Still, although the men were in no real danger, they definitely couldn't leave today.

Even after recovering, they would need another two days of rest.

"How did they get poisoned? We didn't eat anything!"

Xie Songde looked baffled.

"We had porridge earlier."

Jiao Zhiyong suddenly spoke up.

Xie Songde paused, then frowned. "The three of us had it too. Why are we fine?"

"While we were eating, I saw bits of mushroom in Kong Fang's porridge. There weren't any in mine."

At those words, Xie Songde's expression darkened.

If that was true, there was no need to ask who was behind it.

Just then, another visitor arrived at Old Cripple's house. Who else could it be but Xie Yong?

"Well, Mr. Xie, how could you be so careless? You can't just eat any mushrooms you find in the mountains!"

Then Xie Yong approached Xie Songde and said with a smile, "Mr. Xie, look, your father's been dead so long, and now your men are poisoned. Need our help?"

"It's cheap. Twenty thousand per person, with a written agreement."

Staring into Xie Yong's eyes, Xie Songde clenched his jaw.

After a long silence, he said, "I still need to look after them. Come with me first thing tomorrow morning."

"Sure thing. But if you're leaving him here another night..."

Xie Yong smiled.

"Thirty thousand. I'll pay seventy thousand in advance tomorrow, and another forty thousand once we're out."

Xie Songde gave Xie Yong an impassive look as he spoke.

"All right! I'll leave you to it, boss."

Xie Yong cheerfully agreed and left.

Watching him go, Xie Songde's face remained grim. He turned to Chen Miao.

"Mr. Chen, there's no need to refund what I paid earlier. Once we're out, I'll give each of the two poisoned pallbearers another ten thousand. Would that be acceptable?"

Chen Miao had been listening beside them the whole time and knew Xie Songde had run out of options.

If they didn't use the bald man and his companions, the old man's body would start decomposing with further delays.

But even Chen Miao couldn't stomach letting the bald man and his cronies get their way.

Anyone else would have been helpless at this point, but Chen Miao still had a way to foil their scheme.

Whether he could use it, however, depended on Xie Songde's consent.

"Mr. Xie, if I had a way to get your father out intact, would you consider it?"

Xie Songde looked at Chen Miao and shook his head. "Just the two of you... It's too far. Forget it. I'll swallow this for now. Once I've taken my father out, once we're out, I'll settle the score. I can't let them disturb him even after his death."

A cold glint flashed in Xie Songde's eyes.

"Mr. Xie, I think those men's greed knows no bounds. If they actually do the work after taking the money, fine. But if they pull something else along the way, your father... can't afford any more delays."

"If you trust me, leave him in my care. I have special methods. I can get him safely to Shannan City tomorrow!"

Looking at Chen Miao, Xie Songde knitted his brows. "Mr. Chen, you're not joking?"

Chen Miao shook his head. "The dead deserve respect. I wouldn't joke about your father."

Hearing that, Xie Songde hesitated briefly, then nodded.

"Then... I can wait until noon tomorrow at the latest. If it doesn't work, we'll still have to use them. If it costs more, so be it."

"All right. It's settled, then."

Chen Miao smiled and left Old Cripple's house.

Afterward, Chen Miao and Jiao Zhiyong carried the old man's coffin back to Xie Yong's house and set it in the courtyard.

After receiving some instructions, Jiao Zhiyong didn't return to Old Cripple's house. Instead, he left Blue Stone Village and headed out of the mountains alone.

Watching Jiao Zhiyong leave, Chen Miao murmured, "If they won't let us carry the corpse, we won't."

Time passed in a flash.

In the early hours, at Xie Yong's house.

After having a few drinks with his companions, Xie Yong headed straight home.

With everything settled, naturally they had to celebrate with a little alcohol.

As he entered, the coffin sitting in the courtyard gave him a fright.

"Fuck, what rotten luck!"

Xie Yong wanted to kick it, but soon bent down with a smile and stroked the coffin instead.

"You're my money tree, old man. Rest well. I'll take you out of the mountains tomorrow."

With that, he staggered toward his room.

As he walked, he rubbed his arms.

"Why's it so damn cold today?"

Bang!

Xie Yong kicked his bedroom door open and walked in.

But the moment he entered, he heard the chime of a bell.

"Huh?"

Puzzled, Xie Yong stepped back and looked outside.

"Who the fuck's doing what at this hour..."

Before he could finish, his bleary eyes instantly cleared, and every trace of alcohol seemed to seep out of his body as cold sweat.

In a single instant, Xie Yong sobered up.

He kept replaying the meal in his head, wondering whether he, too, had accidentally eaten mushrooms!

Otherwise, why would he be seeing this?

Ding! Thump!

The brief sounds snapped Xie Yong out of his thoughts.

Watching the figure leap out of the coffin, Xie Yong turned deathly pale. He dragged his weak legs into the room and quietly shut the door.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Listening to the hopping sounds moving back and forth outside, Xie Yong hid behind the door, barely daring to breathe.

He covered his mouth, terrified of making even the slightest noise.

Only after a full two minutes had passed without another sound outside did Xie Yong slowly lower his hand.

"Is it gone?"

Xie Yong was about to peek through the crack in the door when he suddenly remembered something he'd seen while scrolling through short videos.

"In Western horror, if you shut the door and everything goes quiet outside, you're probably safe."

"In Chinese horror, if you shut the door and everything goes quiet outside, it's probably already inside."

Swallowing hard, Xie Yong scanned the room, his face white.

Only after waiting a full five minutes did he convince himself that nothing had come in.

Mustering his courage, Xie Yong cautiously moved away from the door and approached the window.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he raised his head.

Once he could see what was outside, he let out a huge sigh of relief.

The moonlit courtyard was empty.

The coffin was properly closed, too.

It all seemed to have been a hallucination!

"Phew!"

Xie Yong breathed easier and pushed himself upright against the windowsill.

In the end, he still couldn't summon the courage to open the window and lean out to check.

He turned and headed toward the bed.

"Must've drunk too much. Some sleep... Some sleep will fix it."

Xie Yong murmured, and as his gaze swept across the floor, his body froze again.

Thump-thump!

Thump-thump-thump!

His heartbeat began to race!

In the moonlight streaming into the room through the window, a dark shadow slowly rose from beneath the windowsill!

Now, Xie Yong's shadow and that other shadow stood in the room, one in front of the other.

Thump-thump-thump!

Thump-thump-thump-thump!

Xie Yong couldn't breathe, his face turning a deep purple.

If... if he had leaned out of the window just now, what would have happened?

Bzzzt!

A ringing filled Xie Yong's ears. His eyes rolled back, and he toppled over, his body still rigid.

PS:

Ding~

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